Conferencing over a network connection (sometimes called virtual conferencing) and screen sharing software are known in the computing and communication fields. For example, Skype® is a service providing near real-time voice and video connectivity between two or more subscribers. A first subscriber who has a registered identity and membership to the service makes contact with another registered subscriber and requests a connection. The service determines the availability of the second subscriber and a call request is presented to the second subscriber similar to a telephone call but in a computer application running on the subscribers' computers. A conference of several subscribers can be arranged as well.
Computer-based telephony can also connect a plurality of registered users to one another in an online-supported conference call. Other applications and services, e.g., Citrix®, provide shared screen experiences and remote screen sharing and control. Yet others provide interactive whiteboarding experiences where two or more users can see each others' actions entered onto a computer based window.
FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a screen shot of an application having a user interface window 10, WebEx®, providing real-time video conferencing among a group of users 108. This example is presented here generically to describe this type of art, and not by way of explaining any specific aspect of a named piece of prior art or product. A user 106 can be the host of the conference (initiates it and coordinates its start and stop). Another user 104 can be displayed in a highlighted or enlarged window when he or she is speaking (has the microphone). Chat sessions 102 can be displayed in other portions of the user interface 10 of the application. In addition, the users can share graphical content 100 that is shown in yet another portion of user interface 10.
Since the moderator or host 106 creates the session as a virtual meeting for collaboratively sharing content 100 and discussion, the session is dedicated to the topic chosen by the host 106. A known problem with such scenarios is that once the number of participants exceeds some number, it becomes difficult or impossible for each of them to receive meaningful attention or have an active participation, akin to the problem known as the “cocktail party effect” in some contexts, where too many people in a room cause a nonlinear escalation of the din of conversation so that nearly nobody can conduct a conversation any more.
Other challenges to existing systems that remain unfulfilled or sub-optimal include that proper shared user experiences require near real-time synchronization between the participants. Also, most such existing systems are based on desktop computing platforms and require substantial computing resources (bandwidth, memory, computing cycles) and do not lend themselves well to compact personal devices such as mobile smartphones, tablets and the like. The present disclosure addresses these and other shortcomings of the existing art.